Bismarck weekly tribune., 1887-01-14
A Brief Synopsis Of Some Of the
Official Reports Made to
Governor Pierce
BY the Officials Of the Various Penal,
Charitable and Educational
institutions Of Dakota.
Appropriations Amounting to S12.-
100000 to. be Asked of the Two
' Coming Fiscal Years.
Bismarck Penitentiary.

The directors of this institution transmit
to the governor the reports submitted to
them by the warden. including his own
and that of the physician and chaplain.
which they found SO thorough and salts
factory that they adopted it as their own.
1t comprises a pamphlet of fifty pages, the
last twelve being devoted to valuable sta
'tistical tables and a catalogue of the books
OF the prison library, nearly all of which
have been donated by friends. The report
opens with complete but brief history of
the institution. Its establishment was
made by an act of the legislature of 1883,
$4,000 being appropriated. The city of Bis
marck donated the land, upon which, dur
ing the years 1888 and 1884, prison with
one cell wing, containing seventy-tw
cells, was erected. The last legislature ap-
propriated $51 ,495.20 to pay balance due
contractors of $2.6S4.85; to build boiler
house and laundry and root house: to put in
steam heating aid plumbing apparatus; to
construct temporary yard wall, build sta
bles, construct sewer and cesspool, fur
nlsh and equip the institution, and pay the
running expenses for. two years. "Con-
struction bonds" to the amount of $14,6OO
were issued, but this was used to equip the
Institution. The appropriations were in
sufficient for doing substantial work. In
some cases it was necessary to exceed the
amounts appropriated, and in others to
only partially carry out the designs. Some
thing has been done at all of the pur-
poses for which provisions even
meager were made. A great deal
of necessary small work has also been
done, as putting on locks, hinges, fasten-
ings, storm and screen windows, painting,
etc. The water pipe had been laid in
trenches only four feet deep; these were
dug up, and the trench deepened to eight
feet The grounds have been nicely laid
out, and several hundred young trees
planted in the fall Of 1885. The prisoners
have cared for these, and replaced all dead
or. sickly, ones this last fall. The first
ing which month thirty-ive men were
transferred from the penitentiary at Sioux
Falls; sixty have since been received from
the courts Of North Dakota; the sentences
OF forty-one have expired; one has been
pardoned, and one received Communication of
the penitentiary fifty-two persons. The
general health Of the prisoners has been
most excellent. Sunday preaching services
have been regularly maintained. Among
the needs of the institution, the foremost
is work for the prisoners. They have been
employed as much as possible about the
grounds in making Improvements, but
such work at best cannot last long and fur
nishes almost nothing in winter. Addi-
lditiOnal cells must be had, as at present
there are only twenty vacant cells; of the
fifty-tWo now incarcerated, the sentences
Of only nine expire during this year, while
during the past year sixty have been SEN
fenced by the courts, and many are now
awaiting trial. II this is done, the yard
wall will have to be extended and towers
for the guards be erected. The upper
stories Of the central building should
Built eisctrc lights put aqss n poth for satety nasty
and economy; the means of supplying and
the facilities for holding, larger water
supply provided, a cistern for catching
rain water be constructed: the sewerage
system increased; an ice-house erected;
prison added; cottages be built upon the
grounds and rented to the guards; good
library provided and the chapel heated and
decorated. There was paid for running ex-
penses during the past two years, $22,987.9S;
for building and improvements, 800, 1850;
for furnishing, 81, ,4S8.E.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA AT GRAND
| FORKS.
The past year is claimed to have been
the most successful the university has ever
seen. There are at present fifty-six STU
dents, classified as follows: Six sopho-
mores, sixteen freshmen, nineteen seniors
preparatory, fifteen juniors preparatory.
The regents feel that the territory did not
establish the university for educating the
children in the elementary branches, and
that the high schools should do the prepar-
atory work. The distance of the buildings
from the city of Grand Forks is claimed to
be hindrance to full attendance. Seven
counties are represented by students.
| Water works have been put in at cost of
$4,000, and water is furnished at s119 cents
per hundred gallons. A balance remains
from all the funds, the authorities express
ing themselves as feeling that they had no
| right to anticipate appropriations. For
running expenses and the erection of a
needed boarded house, and for increasing
the aRpfarat1s ieraGy ls1 aoy and museum an
A medical department could be added to
the university at a slight expense and II is
thought that it would benefit many stu
dents. -
NORTH DAKOTA HOSPITAL FOR TIE M
SANE.
The second biennial report Of the tras-
tees and officers connected with this insti-
tuition fills pamphlet of sixty-ive pages,
with view of the buildings and the
grounds as frontispiece. The institution
was opened with two patients, May /, 1886.
There have been admitted since that time
Ia; the total number under treatment has
been 176; SS have been discharged, six have
died and one has escaped-leaving in the,
hospital November 80, 1886, 1876 inmates.
| There has been very little general sickness
reported and the deaths were the natural
results of chronic diseases of long stand
ing. The appropriation of the last legisla-
ture, $6S,O0O, for construction fund, has
been expended for the following buildings
and improvements: A ward building;
boiler house, kitchen, dining room, Laundry
and the main part of the Office building and
superintendent's residence; barn with
stone basement 2sx60; thorough drainage
for the whole hospital with fourteen-inch
pipes, laid IN trenches from six to seven